Worlds apart
by samiksha
Summary: "Once a whore, always a whore!" Meh! It was co cliché. As if she hadn't heard of it before. As if she cared what those lowly perverts thought about her. Something like this was not going to affect her in any way.
1. Chapter 1

**It's kinda cliché start, but then it takes a different turn. Trust me. I hope you'll give it a try. Read and Review Please. **

**Worlds apart**

"Once a whore, always a whore!" Rukia heard her boss yelling behind her, when she kicked him in the nuts and walked out of her new job. Meh! It was co cliché. As if she hadn't heard of it before. As if she cared what those lowly perverts thought about her. Something like this was not going to affect her in any way.

Rukia was back at the same streets she roamed for her 'job'. She tried hard to get out of this filthy profession, she took some honourable jobs(usually a waitress or a helper at a convenience store,because of her lack of educational qualifications) but everywhere she went she had to go through the same thing- people groping her, trying to get a peek up her skirt, making her wear uniform too small for her, asking her for sex for raise in salary. Yep, it was the same everywhere. Atleast _this job_ paid better.

Today was Saturday. Ichigo will be picking her at her usual spot. He was the stupidest guy she has ever met. WHO goes to a whore to lose their virginity? Isn't it a big deal? Aren't guys supposed to knock their girlfriends or get drunk at a party and do their best-friend's girl? Apparently Ichigo must've missed his chance or something... because when he came to her he was 20 and still a virgin. She, till this day gives him grief for that. Spending time with him felt good. Rukia knew getting involved with her customers will only hurt her; they were here for her body not her heart. Ichigo was one of them but he made her feel the emotion she always wanted to feel…passion. Here he was, the object of her affection errr... passion, coming towards her, looking like a sex-god.

xox

Ichigo got out of his new mansion. He decided that living with his father anymore was dangerous for his sanity and his father's existence. Even though he hated leaving his sisters in his father's care, he needed a bit of privacy. Today was Saturday his day to meet with Rukia. Today he was going to bring her to his home instead of the regular hotels. It would allow him to spend more time with her instead of worrying about his father finding about his weekly escapades. God knew why his father was so interested in his life-sexual life to be exact. The guy was crazy but he always knew when Ichigo 'got some'. Maybe the guy was psychic or something.

He hopped into his new Bentley Continental GT and drove towards their usual spot. He started to reminiscence about his arrangement with Rukia. He first met her when he decided to get laid after getting irritated by his friend's teasing about his sexual activity or the lack thereof. Thank god they didn't know that he was a virgin or he would be the butt of all jokes instead of Keigo. He wasn't an overly sentimental guy who was waiting for his one true love or something; he just didn't want to get cozy with one of the girls who seemed to be head over heels in love with him. It would be like leading them on and he didn't want that to happen. So he decided that a random girl will work out, who had experience in that field, like a...hooker, maybe. And then he found Rukia. His first time was superb all thanks to Rukia. Two years later he's still going back to her for more.

Ichigo sighed when he thought about his conversation with his father. _"Ichigo when are you going to introduce us to your girlfriend?" Ichigo was stunned to hear his father talking like a normal human being instead of a wailing monkey. He decided to entertain his father just this once "Dad I don't have a girlfriend, and I'll be sure to introduce her to my crazy family when I get one." _

"_Oh really? Then who is the young lady with whom_ _you have been spending all your Saturday nights with?" _SHIT!_ was the only thought running through Ichigo's mind. Also the fact that his meetings with Rukia have been discovered by his father made him blush… can you believe that? Ichigo Kurosaki Blushing? "that…she…I'll…"he couldn't help but stutter. " So are you going to introduce her or shall I find her on my own?" _CRAP!_ Ichigo's mind was just a pile of goop now. What was he going to do? His father would certainly find Rukia. What will his dad think when he finds out who Rukia really is and what was his real relationship with her? He regained his composure and lied through his teeth "Let me talk to her and I'll introduce her to you but give me some time. 'kay?" "Okay." Was his father's response. _

The lying part was easy and after a week of thinking he had a solution but will Rukia agree to his plans? Of-course she will, he was going to offer her a good amount of money for her help. He wasn't happy about what he was doing but he had no other option to deal with his father. Ichigo reached his destination and saw Rukia waiting for him; he couldn't help but feel happy at the sight of her.

xox

Rukia saw him drive towards her in his new car. He was filthy rich (and she was dirt poor) and the heir of Kurosaki group of companies. Without a word she slipped in the car and gave him a small smile. He was grinning-very unlike him. "Whats wrong with you? You look like an idiot." She said nonchalantly. His grin disappeared "Shut-up shorty I'm allowed to be happy and you'll see why soon." Rukia fumed at the 'shorty' comment but decided to stay silent. She saw that Ichigo was driving in a different direction. She asked him about it but he just said that it was a surprise. What could it be? Rukia was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even notice that they reached a big mansion.

Ichigo pulled his car into a driveway and stopped, it was then that Rukia noticed where they were. Confusion was written all over her face. "Where are we Ichigo?"

"At my house you idiot." Rukia punched him hard in the arm for the _idiot_ comment. "But didn't you say you lived in the city?" "Yeah, that is where my family stays. This is my own humble abode and this was the surprise I was talking about." Rukia was gawking at the house. It was beautiful and gave her a feeling of warmth and coziness, just like Ichigo. Ichigo took her inside and gave her a tour of the house. She could hear a hint of delight in his voice while talking about his home. They went in the kitchen and had some celebratory wine. After hours passed they were in his new king-size bed. Rukia was lying with her back to his chest. She was feeling very satisfied after their sexual endeavor. Ichigo took care of her needs and wants unlike any other men. She was also feeling happy that he felt like sharing his own bed with her.

Rukia heard him sigh and say "Hey I wanted to talk to you about something." "What is it?" He then told her about his conversation with his father. A feeling of dread spread through her heart.

Was he going to break-off their arrangement and tell her to get the hell out of his life? He spoke again.

"I want you to be my girlfriend."

Rukia's heart was overflowing with happiness.

"Don't worry it's just for few weeks, then we'll break it off."

What was he talking about?

"Also I'll pay you for your assistance."

She felt as if all the happiness was sucked out of her heart and it shattered into million pieces. What was she expecting? She was a whore. Why would a rich and handsome guy want someone like her? it was not possible even in her dreams and this was reality to begin with. She locked-up her heart and gave him a weak nod. She was thankful that he couldn't see the disappointment on her face.

"When do we start?"

Ichigo was relieved by her response. "As early as possible. You can stay here and we can say that you moved in with me. We'll play our roles in front of them and after some time I'll tell them that we broke-off due to some issues, then you're free to leave." The way he said the last words made both of their hearts clench but they ignored it and decided to get some sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I forgot to put a disclaimer in chap-1, but obviously it's a 'fan-fiction' and i do not own BLEACH.**

**Please Read & Review. I won't bore you to death by taking about my _blissful_ life; so here goes...**

Rukia was getting ready for her dinner with the Kurosaki family. She was wearing a baby-blue dress, which Ichigo had purchased for her. She now had her own closet filled with clothes that he had bought for her. Apparently she had to look presentable as the girlfriend of Ichigo Kurosaki-the most sort after Bachelor. Rukia smiled ruefully when she remembered her previously owned cheap and slutty clothes, there'll come a time when she has to return to those clothes; until then they were packed in a duffel bag and placed in one corner of her huge closet. There was also a big wad of cash in one locker of the closet; it was given to her as a signing amount to their 'Deal'. Ten grand to be exact, she was to receive another twenty when the job was done. That kind of money was nothing for Ichigo but for her it was a lot. She won't be forced to work for another year and half with that amount of money at her disposal. Nevertheless, she was not happy. Why? She did not know…or maybe she did.

xox

It would be an understatement to say that Ichigo was in panic. He was a nervous wreck. Who wouldn't be if you were introducing your (fake) girlfriend to your (crazy) family? He was praying to whatever gods were in the heaven for the success of his plan. He was ready to do this, but what if Rukia messed up? At the very least she seemed pretty confident when they talked about the dinner. He had decided to go with the story that they met at Inoue's restaurant, where she works as a chef, she was raised in an orphanage (which was true) out in the suburbs, she was living on her own since 16 and then finally moved in with Ichigo last week. Yes, the story was flawless. Now there was no need to fret. He was ready to face whatever was going to happen, not afraid at all… okay just a bit afraid. Everything else was in control except his nerves.

Ichigo got the feeling that he killed two birds with one stone. As soon as the news of him dating Rukia got out, the number of girls coming on to him decreased substantially. Some however were as persistent as flies, they came back to him claiming that he was just dating not _married_ so he was as good as single. The only drawback to it was that whenever they went for an outing, many single rich guys had noticed Rukia (in both good and bad ways) and taken a liking to her. And NO he wasn't jealous he was just worried about what will happen if they find out about her true identity. Yes, that was it.

xox

A black shiny car reached the Kurosaki household. A couple got out of the car and made their way towards the door. They knocked on the door and heard someone shouting inside the house.

Rukia was shocked when the door suddenly opened and Ichigo who was standing next to her, was knocked down by some unknown force, or was that a man?

"Get-off of me you old man! I don't believe you would attack me when I'm here with my girlfriend for the first time. What if you would've hurt her instead of me?" Ichigo yelled over his lungs.

"Don't be silly Ichigo. I was giving you an opportunity to look cool in front of your girlfriend. It's not my fault that you blew it. Also I'll never hurt someone as cute as Rukia." Ichigo's dad (who Rukia later came to know as Isshin-san) explained with a wink.

After some yelling and punching, they were inside the house. Ichigo introduced her to his sisters and as he called—his off the rocker father. After some more yelling, punching and embarrassing remarks, they started their dinner.

"So Rukia-chan what do you do?" Isshin-san asked.

"I work as a chef in Inoue-san's reataurant, actually that's where I met Ichigo." She answered confidently. It was all practiced to perfection while they were fabricating their story. The conversation flowed very smoothly after that.

Isshin-san, Rukia noted was a very kind and caring man under all his façade of stupidity. She could see something akin to pride in his eyes when he talked about his kids, especially Ichigo. Yuzu was a very kindhearted girl and one brilliant cook. Rukia made a mental note of avoiding any topics related to cooking, because then her story of being a chef would certainly fall apart. Karin who was into football, looked bored to death by the antics of her brother and father and would gladly give her right arm to get out of there.

xox

Rukia liked the Kurosakis.

She never had a family to begin with, but the treatment she received at the Kurosaki's, made her feel as if she was a part of their family. It would be so nice to live among people who care about you, love you. Being here was like living in her fantasy of having a loving family. Unfortunately, it was just that…a fantasy. What will happen, when they find-out about her true identity? Will they welcome her in their family, as they welcomed her now? Will they accept her? NEVER. They will be disgusted to know that they were ever associated with her; and won't take a split second to throw her out of their life.

_This contract_ she made with Ichigo was hurting her too much. It gave her a painful glimpse of all the things she did not have and would never have. Life is unfair, she knew it. The way life was throwing that fact at her face was just plain agonizing.

Rukia never cried. However, if there was one day she came close to sobbing, it was the day or rather the night of the dinner with Kurosakis.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:- I do not own BLEACH.**

**Thanks for the 280+ hits.**

**Okay, This chapter is pretty laid-back with a little drama at the end. The setting for all the interesting things about to happen in the future (of the story). Forgive the typos.  
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Ichigo was sitting in his office, thinking… cooking-up a new story for his friends, because 'Rukia works at Inoue's place' was not going to work this time, given that Inoue herself was one of his friend. 'Met at a bar' would be reasonable; and they won't be skeptical at all. He thought that fooling his dad and sisters was easy; that task was accomplished. Now was the real ordeal, deceiving his friends, which was going to be difficult since him and Rukia were going to spend a lot of time with them. Even the simplest of slip-up and they were doomed. He felt as if he was going to get grey hair with all the drama happening around him. Therefore, the obvious solution was to avoid thinking about it and handle everything as it comes. For the time being, he was going to enjoy his alone-time with Rukia to the fullest.

* * *

Everyone has some or the other kind of fixation, being a prostitute had taught Rukia that much. She always pondered whether Ichigo had any such fixation, since he never showed any signs of it during their previous sexual encounters. Her questions were answered in the most outrageous way. Ichigo did not have a single fetish; rather he loved to experiment with everything. They had tried almost all of the possible ways to have sex, on all possible surfaces. It was as if he turned into a sex-fiend overnight. She could not understand his hunger for her body. He would jump her any chance he got. Rukia however did not object, bearing in mind that she was getting more than she bargained for.

Rukia mused about their routine- get-up in the morning, some foreplay follows, have breakfast, a little bit of petting, hot shower, Ichigo goes to work (she does something around the house to pass her time), lunch, passing some time here and there again, Ichigo returns home, sex, sex, and some more sex. It was like they lived for only one thing- sex. It seems that the Gods of Sex had their grace on them.

* * *

Just sitting around doing nothing was not the way Rukia lived before, so why start now? She decided to do something productive like…cooking, after-all she was a fake chef. Maybe her cooking was not as great as Yuzu's, but it was edible, and that was satisfactory. She needed to go shopping for ingredients first, given that Ichigo's refrigerator was full of only fruits and microwave dinners. She took some money from her advance-payment and headed toward the nearby convenience store.

For the first time in her life, she was able to buy the expensive ingredients that she could not afford before. The prices of the simplest things were almost triple of what she used to pay; this after-all was a high-class neighbourhood. Rukia was so wrapped up in her thoughts, that she did not notice a man approaching her with a very wicked grin.

"Mind telling me how you can afford this thing?" the man enquired looking over her shoulder, at the piece of high-priced steak she was holding.

To say that Rukia was shocked would be an understatement. She was terrified. The man was Grimmjow- one of her client. You would have to be crazy or evil to be associated with him.

"Grimmjow, what are you doing here?"

"Shouldn't I be the one asking that question? What are _you_ doing in this neighbourhood? Well any way, to answer your question- I live nearby." He said offhandedly. "…looks like you hit it big, sweetheart."

Rukia felt like puking for the _sweetheart_ comment. She had to tread carefully when her challenger was Grimmjow.

"Fuck-off." Way to tread carefully.

"Wrong answer, sweetheart." Grimmjow sneered, twisting her hand behind her back. He only let go when the store-helper passed by them. Rukia's mind was racing, devising a plan to get out of his grasp. Before she could do anything, his phone beeped and he diverted his attention from her to the caller.

She checked her hand for any bruises. What was going to tell Ichigo if he saw it? Thankfully there was only a slight damage, nothing a little ice can't cure. He suddenly turned to her, kissed her forcefully and left with a promise to meet again.

A series of incidents shot through her mind- running away from the orphanage, getting molested to the point of rape, being dragged against her will to sell her body. Ugh! There was no point thinking about her past now. She better get a move on if she wanted to get the dinner on table before Ichigo gets home.

* * *

Somehow, Ichigo was not satisfied with his relation with Rukia. After two months of _dating, _Rukia managed to win everybody's heart and all of them accepted the fact that they were a real couple and nothing fishy was going on. His business associates however were still eager to form a permanent alliance by making a family union. In other words, they wanted him to marry their ugly daughters. Now 'breaking-up' with Rukia was not an option, because that would just intensify his problems. He needed a new plan and he needed it quick.

The solution to all his problems came in an unexpected way and from a very unexpected source. His father. He suggested that Ichigo should marry Rukia. Well, now that was outrageous. Nevertheless, his father made a point; if he was off the market no one would approach him. He just needed Rukia's consent.

* * *

Rukia could feel her heart breaking into pieces. Ichigo wanted to get engaged to her. Fake engagement, to be exact. She had no option but to accept, because she wanted the money to survive. After all this was done and over with, she was going to be the only one suffering with enormous heartache.

* * *

Rukia had to make her daily visit to the convenience store for their dinner. What she did not plan was bumping into an annoying person. Again. Grimmjow was waiting for her at the store. For the past month or so, he had been following her. She tried coming to store at a different time but he would always be there. Even though she avoided any conversation, she could make-out that he had a bone to pick with Ichigo from his remarks. He though that harassing Ichigo's _girlfriend_ would work.

Rukia doesn't know how he got the wind of the issue, but he knew about her and Ichigo's deal. Furthermore, he was planning to use it against her. He fancied a deal of his own-Sleep with him again to keep his mouth shut or else there would be severe consequences.

Grimmjow was a vile man and she knew making an agreement with him would be a wise decision. Her heart however could not even imagine about the possibility of betraying Ichigo. When he saw that Rukia was not ready to comply, he smirked and told her that Ichigo was just using her and would throw her away after she has served the purpose.

As if that could ever happen, Ichigo would never do such a wicked thing with her.

She hoped he didn't.

* * *

**youtubesam**:- hmm… to some extent the start is similar but the story is completely different and this one will have a lot of drama later-on. You'll understand about Rukia when you read about her past in next chapters and flashback from this chapter. She was already a prostitute when Ichigo went to her, so she was not a virgin then. In addition, Ichigo is 'hiring her services' for two years, so they know each other pretty well. If you want to see Ichigo suffer, keep on reading.

xbleachfanx, princessdoll, falconrukichi, ashezo, ReaperDuckling thanks for your reviews.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks for 470+ hits.**

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Ichigo had a surprise guest in his office, and it was the unwanted kind. His self-proclaimed rival, Grimmjow. He always wanted to compete with Ichigo even for the insignificant stuff. Ichigo knew better than to bother with the likes of Grimmjow- he wasn't worth the time. They were on completely different echelon in the business world. While Ichigo was the sole heir of a multi-billion company, Grimmjow was an employee for one such company. Grimmjow would never stand a chance if he took the challenge seriously. He could never understand the true intention behind the rivalry. At the very least Ichigo had never done anything to fuel such enmity.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" Ichigo said sarcastically.

"Oh Ichigo you are hurting me. I came here all the way to meet you, and this is how you treat me?" Grimmjow said in voice dripping with venom.

"Get to the point." Ichigo thought it would be better to get this over with as soon as possible. He had better things to do.

"I guess I'm here to tell you that I found a way to destroy you. So, here's my fair warning to you. Tread carefully, this time I Am Going To Destroy You." He said while enunciating every word. Ichigo was very annoyed with this declaration.

"Then a 'Thank You' will suffice for your warning. I will watch my step. If you are done, I'll take my leave." He then left his own office, leaving an unperturbed Grimmjow.

Do you ask why Ichigo left his own office? Well, he and Rukia had a dinner to attend. A dinner with his family, where he was going to pronounce his upcoming engagement.

* * *

The Kurosaki family was ecstatic when they heard that Ichigo and Rukia were thinking of getting engaged. Isshin-san's exact words were—'Hooray! I get to be a grandpa'; Yuzu's words were—'I'm so glad, now I get an elder sister'. Karin—'Congrats Ichi-nii. Thanks for diverting the old man's attention from us to yourself'.

Ichigo's friends, who were now Rukia's friends, were shocked by the thought of Ichigo committing to someone. Although they were very happy for the couple.

Now the only thing was to announce their engagement to others and The Ring Shopping. The announcement was left to Isshin-san. However, the shopping was to be done by Ichigo and Rukia, since the ring should of their choice.

* * *

If you knew Ichigo very well then you would know that he hated shopping. Whenever he walked into a store to buy clothes for himself, he will randomly grab some things (some not even his size), pay for it, and walk out. Therefore, Rukia was expecting the same thing when they went to pick a ring, but what really happened, greatly astounded her. Ichigo walked in to a jewel shop. The jeweler seemed to recognize him. He then went inside and brought a box.

"Here are the rings you ordered.' The jeweler said looking at Ichigo.

"Ah Thanks for doing it on such short notice."

The rest of the conversation between them was drowned out as Rukia stared at Ichigo with her mouth hanging open. Ichigo, the man who hates shopping, came here in advance and selected a few rings. From what she could make out from their conversation, he also gave them some designs of his own. This was just unbelievable. Was this the same Ichigo she knew all this time? When Ichigo saw Rukia's reaction, a faint smile appeared on his lips.

"Hey? You okay? If you are not feeling good, we'll leave now and come back later."

"No I'm okay. Let's get this done."

" 'kay. These are the rings that I picked out for you. Which ones do you like? You are free to choose a different one if you want." He continued "My absolutely favourite are these—the simple ring with a single diamond and the ring with two smaller diamonds on either side of the amethyst. I like this one because it is the same colour as your eyes."

Rukia looked at the rings, they were really beautiful. Though she loved the amethyst ring since it matched her eyes and also Ichigo thought about her eyes while looking for a ring. She made her decision.

They were out of the shop and Rukia was ready to go home, when Ichigo pulled her in other direction. Within moments, they were in a boutique and Rukia was being swamped with dresses by the sales-lady. Ichigo had taken her for dress shopping.

After hours of posing and twirling in different dresses, they were done with all the shopping and sitting in a café, sipping on coffee. Rukia was thinking about her day. Today was single-handedly the best day of her stay with Ichigo, or was it the best day of her entire life?

Rukia was brought out or her reverie when Ichigo pulled her to himself and kissed her full on the lips.

Ichigo never kissed her in public. Ever. Not even in front of his friends. Something was terribly wrong with Ichigo. He was acting like a sweet (real) boyfriend. This day was getting weirder with each passing second.

Rukia was so immersed in the excitement about the engagement, that she forgot the fact that she was just _playing the role_ of Ichigo's girlfriend. This was a charade, and the reality was far more different from what she was perceiving.

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Ichigo couldn't have been more happier. There was a smile on Rukia's face all day long. He hoped he was the one making her smile like that. Looking at her, made him want to smile. His heart would soar whenever she looked at him with her eyes sparkling with…something in them. They were sitting in the jacuzzi, with Rukia's back to his chest. He thought about how addicted he had become to her. A thought of passing a single day without her was just unbearable.

Ichigo was happy; never knowing what the future held for him, and whatever it was, it was not good.

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**falconrukichi**:- Rukia is still a prostitute. She's not 'working' coz Ichigo has already hired her for the time-being.

**youtubesam**:- Yes Rukia known that she is being used. The thing is that she loves Ichigo ( eventhough she doesn't know that as of now). So when it comes to Ichigo, her rationality lags behind her feelings for him and she can't think straight.


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks for 1070+ hits. Only 16 reviews, maybe the story isn't worth the time...**

**Thanks to those who reviewed.  
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It was the day of the Kurosaki Group's yearly bash. Both Ichigo and Rukia were eagerly waiting for this day, the day when their engagement was going to be announced to the world. Only Ichigo's family and close friends knew about the announcement.

Rukia was wearing a dress that they bought when they went for the ring shopping- a long-strapless red dress, with a slit on the left side that reached just above her knee, while Ichigo was wearing a suit. Both looking perfect, on their own and together as a couple as well. She was walking beside Ichigo, with her hand placed on his forearm. They were greeting the people in the party. Everybody's eyes were on the gorgeous pair. She could see the wrath and the jealousy in every girl's eyes. They hated her for taking the position, which they believed was rightfully theirs.

Everything was perfect; it was like a scene from a fairytale-all Rukia had ever dreamt about.

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Rukia's happiness however was going to be short lived, seeing that Grimmjow was here with a plan to destroy her.

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Grimmjow approached Rukia when Ichigo was away from her, busy making small talk with some of his guests. Rukia could not out-right refuse him and create a scene, so she walked with him to an adjacent room, where they could not be witnessed arguing with each other. After a few minutes, Grimmjow returned to the party; Rukia was nowhere to be seen. He then approached Ichigo.

"Congrats Ichigo. I could never imagine that you would pull off such a stunt."

Before he could utter any other word and cause any chaos, Ichigo signaled him to walk out with him. They came to the same place where Grimmjow had previously taken Rukia.

"What do you want?" Ichigo seethed.

"Why so testy? Are you doing something bad, and hiding it from the world Ichigo?"

"As if you care. Tell me your true intentions."

"Oh nothing. I just wanna know if you feel something special for that little whore." Grimmjow asked looking at Ichigo straight in the eye.

How dare he insult Rukia? Did he just call Rukia a whore? He really knew about Rukia or was it a mere metaphor? Ichigo felt like punching Grimmjow in the face.

Instead, he focused his attention at the topic at hand. Grimmjow was sure to create some problems for him and Rukia, if he were to find out that Ichigo really cared about her. Hence, Ichigo decided to fend him off.

"Are you kidding me? I don't care for someone like her. I'm just using her for my own goals, when they are fulfilled I'll get rid of her." Even saying such a thing left a terrible after-taste. He then turned and walked away without noticing the evil smirk on Grimmjow's face.

"So you are a disposable thing for him. Did you hear that, my _sweetheart?_ Ru-ki-a?"

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Rukia was tied to a pillar in that room, her mouth was duct-taped. She heard every single word Ichigo had uttered about her.

How could he? Is _that_ what he thought about her all this time? If he was only using her, then why did he show so much affection towards her? Was it just her imagination? She was frozen, numb after all the revelations. Ichigo never cared for her; he was using her. She never believed whatever Grimmjow said, but hearing it straight from Ichigo's mouth was proof enough. Why would he lie to Grimmjow anyway? Her fairytale was over with a cruel twist.

Rukia was too stunned to notice anything when Grimmjow undid her ties, removed the duct-tape on her mouth, or when she fell to the floor. He took this chance and started kissing her- biting her, she did not protest and stayed still like a corpse. She neither whimpered with pain; nor moaned with pleasure. He on the other hand did not care whether she responded or not. He was getting what he wanted; and destroying Ichigo in the process was the sweet-sweet icing on top. It was his victory. Two birds in one stone.

* * *

Ichigo was looking for Rukia for the past twenty minutes. She was nowhere to be seen- well she was short for that matter. Did she get cold-feet and ran away from him? He wished that wasn't the case.

He did not see her after his encounter with Grimmjow. Something suddenly flashed in his mind. Grimmjow was oddly inquisitive today. Why did he care about his and Rukia's relationship? It was pretty impossible, but did he know more than he let on? Was he aware of their deal? Ichigo made a mad dash at the room where he met Grimmjow. What he saw there made his blood boil with rage.

Rukia's was sitting on the floor with her head hanging low- he couldn't see her face as it was covered with her bangs. Next to her was Grimmjow, whose right hand was inside Rukia's dress, Ichigo could make out from a distance that his hand was moving in certain rhythm. Her dress was pulled down and her breasts were exposed. His mouth was attached to her breast.

Ichigo crossed the distance in a speed that was humanly impossible. He pulled Grimmjow away from Rukia and kicked him in the stomach. He went to Rukia and cupped her face. Her face was void of any emotions, her eyes dead. It was as if she was looking straight through him without seeing him. Something in Ichigo just snapped. He turned to Grimmjow and yelled.

"What the fuck were you doing to her? Stay away from her, she doesn't want you. Stay away or I Will Kill You!"

"Huh….? I was doing exactly what you are saying. Fucking her. And what makes you think she doesn't want it? I didn't tie her hands, so she could've pushed me away if she didn't want it. I didn't cover her mouth, so she could've screamed or yelled for help. Dontcha think?" Grimmjow said and licked the fingers of his right hand. He then did exactly what Ichigo had done earlier- turned around and walk away.

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Ichigo was so shocked by Grimmjow's words that he didn't even think of chasing him. Rukia's hands were free; she could've pushed him away, she could've called for help. BUT she didn't. That meant only one thing- she wanted it.

He stood there for god knows how long, contemplating about what he heard. He then turned, looked down to Rukia sitting on the floor- immobile and spoke the very words he never thought he could say to Rukia

"Once a whore, always a whore."

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**Do I need to change the rating to M?**


	6. Oops!

Oops! Uploaded the wrong chapter. The actual chapter has just meaning less fluff, so now I decided to drop it. You only need to know that the party is on Saturday and Ichigo is going out-of-town for 2-3 days immediately after the party.

Oh and I said that maybe it's not worth _your_ time, coz I've already written more than half the story. And I meant no offense to my reviewers. Don't worry **HeeHee8D** I will finish this story. Sorry **youtubesam** that you hated the chapter, I'll try to do a better job next time.

For now I'll keep the rating to 'T', warn me if you find it too offensive.

Since I'm going on vacation I'll be uploading one more chapter within next two days, so enjoy.

Don't forget to review!


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks for all the reviews and 1600+ hits.**

**I messed-up…actually Ichigo doesn't see Rukia in the room, infact she is bound by Grimmjow in a corner where she wouldn't be seen and in turn won't interfere in their conversation.**

**This chapter I posted in a hurry, so forgive any typos or the horrible grammar.**

**youtubesam :- I already converted half of the chapter into a flashback with Ichigo, you'll see it in the next chapter. I guess **_**great minds think alike**_** {laughs nervously}. The other half I'm hoping to use with Rukia. **

**Thanks to **_**Hekka, youtubesam, HeeHee8D, ashezo, Aizawa Ayumu, falconrukichi, pokeyspot, kejora**_** for the reviews. I'm crying tears of happiness, keep on reviewing. **

**Those who want Ichigo to suffer— 'I Will Make Him Suffer...muwhhhahahahah' {rubs hands in a villan-ish style}. Ichigo's torture starts in a few chapters.  
**

"Once a whore, always a whore." Rukia felt as if she had come a whole circle. This all started with the same words on one Saturday and now ended with the same words. The first time it didn't hurt, but this time it was Ichigo who said it and that was the end of the line for her. She was feeling so numb that even the tears refused to fall. There was now a hole where her heart was (Hmm the Arrancar syndrome hee-hee).

The party was still on, in the other room however there was explosive atmosphere. Rukia suddenly felt her wrist being grabbed harshly. Ichigo was dragging her by the wrist; when they reached his car, he pushed her inside, got to the driver's seat and started to drive towards his mansion. As soon as they reached the mansion, he yanked her out and again dragged her to the master-bath. Without any notice, he turned on the shower over her head.

Rukia gasped at the feel of cold water running over body; her dress was already ruined, just like her life. It felt as if he was trying to wash the filth- caused by Grimmjow's touch- off of her body. Ichigo started yanking her clothes from her body. She was naked within moments. He then kissed her hard.

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Rukia was lying on the bed with Ichigo on top of her, while he was ravaging her body. She wanted to tell him that he was hurting her, bruising her, causing her immense pain; but she didn't. Since she knew that he didn't care anymore, in fact he never cared. He was punishing her for the sins she didn't commit. She wanted to cry, yell, push him away, tell him that it wasn't her fault. A thought then crossed her mind- everything was over…the deal, their relationship- whatever it was, her stay in his house, her love for him…everything. He crushed all her hopes and dreams with his harsh words. Now the only thing left for her was to leave this place and never return.

It was her fault. Yes, it was her fault that she fell in love with Ichigo he was her client, she should have known better than to fall for him. She is a whore, no-one loves women like her, everyone uses them for their convenience. A rich, handsome man like Ichigo was always out of her reach and always will be. Her yearning for his love was going to be unfulfilled. The absolute foolishness on her part, had brought about her downfall.

When Ichigo was done with her, he got up, gathered his things and left for his flight without even letting a single glance at her. She heard the sound of the car being pulled out of the driveway and it was then that she allowed her first tears to escape. Her body was shaking with her sobs. She allowed herself the luxury of time to cry because she knew that she had two days to disappear, two days until Ichigo came back from his trip and find her out of his life, as if she never existed in the first place.

She got up from the bed and made her way to her closet. Her body was sore and every part of her body ached. The only thing she took out of her closet was a duffle bag that held her old clothes. She then counted the money; it was 500 dollars short of 10 grand she had received. She had used the money for some groceries and Ichigo's birthday gift.

The thought of the gift brought back more tears. First, she had begged and then threatened the salesperson to reserve the maroon tie so that she could buy it, without Ichigo noticing anything. How was she supposed to give it to him now? Will he even accept a gift that was from her?

She looked at her phone—52 missed calls. Both her and Ichigo's phones rang continuously. His family and friends must be wanting to know the reason as to why they left the party without any notice. The announcement of the engagement was obviously never made. She was very thankful that no-one visited her to find the motive behind their actions.

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Rukia was once again dressed in her own skimpy clothes. She knew that if she wanted to earn 500 bucks she had to return to her previous job, since no one she knew would be able to lend that amount of money to her on such short notice. Instead of returning to her usual place, she decided to go to the heart of the city where many rich guys came to party. After couple of customers, she checked her earnings; she still needed more than 400 bucks. Damn penny-pinchers.

Thinking about what she was doing now, she should feel disgusted by the hands of other guys roaming her body, but apparently that was not the case; it felt like… nothing. All her feelings and emotions died with Ichigo's insensitive words. Can she blame him? No. He was just stating the obvious. Lost in her thoughts she didn't notice a car pull-up to her. The windowpane was rolled down and the face she saw, horrified her. Grimmjow. She tried running away but he caught-up to her, after-all he was in a car.

"What are you doing here Rukia? If Ichigo sees you he's going to be mighty pissed."

She did not reply. He continued, "I guess you need money while he is out of town. Well I can be generous and give you some money but you'll have to work hard for it." Rukia knew what he was insinuating. She also knew that it'll be very hard for her to raise more than 400 bucks in one night. She accepted his offer with a weak nod and stepped into his car.

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Grimmjow was an animalistic man. He liked to rip apart the things that belonged to others and for him Rukia was one such thing. He was also going to ensure to get a souvenir from this night, just so he could one-up Ichigo. Oh! And he was gonna have a lot of fun doing Over Again.

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**Sorry about my lack of knowledge about foreign currency. I hope you understand. **

**Read & Review.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Thanks for the 2400+ hits**.

**I'm still on vacation and found some time to update the story, I didn't get too much time to read it, so it might be a bit detached. I'll correct and reload it once I return from my vacation. For now here it goes…**

**(I used some bits and parts of the fluff chapter for flashback)**

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Ichigo turned to his side, his eyelids fluttering.

_Ichigo woke up to a smell of burning waffles. It appears that, she still hasn't gotten the hang of the waffle-maker. He groaned when he remembered last night's fiasco. _

_When he came home from work, the whole house was filled with the smell of burning food. Everything was turned to charcoal or maybe even carbon in it's purest form. He could only make out that it was food because of the fact that it was in pots and pans and _still _being obliterated over the stove. Perhaps after a few moments the utensils will be set ablaze and melt away. _

_He went next to Rukia, who was about to burst in tears. For once, he pitied her instead of mocking her for her lack of culinary skills._

_ "Rukia I think we should order out." He said uncertainly. She just nodded her head and walked out of the kitchen with her head hung low. No scathing retort? Now that was dangerous. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to him. _

"_Let's cook." He received another nod._

_ Both of them salvaged whatever was left of the cooking ingredients/utensils and started cooking. He studied that she was not a bad cook, instead the cooking gadgets- the microwave, the modern stove, the oven, etc had baffled her. Once he showed her how to operate them; she was all ready and set to cook. While cooking, she absentmindedly admitted that she never had the luxury of all those things- neither the ingredients, nor the appliances. Ichigo felt a twinge of pain in his heart when he heard Rukia admit about her miserable life. _

_ The food tasted excellent. It wasn't too fussy; just simple homey food. As soon as he complimented her on her cooking, there was a genuine smile on her face. She continued to cook for him-breakfast and dinner, while he skipped lunch most of the times. There were still some cases of carbonized food, but that was only because she left for a bath and forgot to turn off the oven. _

_One Sunday they decided to experiment with food…No…not kind of experimentation you perverts. They were trying to make something spicy, like chicken curry. At some point, it turned into a food-fight or an ingredient-fight to be exact. Both were chucking things (onions, coriander stalks, curry leaves, spices, __chillies__, and so on) at each other. Ichigo dived towards her to overpower her with mere strength and ended-up pushing her back onto the cooking platform. He registered a slight sizzling sound along with the smell of burning flesh._

_ Rukia felt a stinging sensation on her palm. Before she could react, she was jerked away from the platform and her palm was held under the flowing faucet, Ichigo then applied some ice to the sore area._

_ Ichigo could not believe what he had done. In his giddiness, he had hurt her. She refused to go to the doctor, he dragged her anyway. Now they were back home and he was sitting on the couch, sulking. Rukia was glaring at him._

_ "Hey look I'm sorry. I didn't mea—Smack. Rukia smacked him right in his face._

_ "Shut-up you moron. It wasn't your fault idiot. It was an accident you stupid man." She yelled out in a single breath. She raised her hand towards him. He waited for the second smack, instead she just pulled him into a hug and whispered 'you are an idiot' in his ear. Ichigo's heart soared, at that very moment he recognized the feeling that there was something about her that was going to bind him to her. He laid his head on her lap, her uninjured hand moving softly through his hair._

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A memory of a recent event with her, in form of dream. Ichigo growled sitting up in his hotel bed. He ran a hand through his hair, wishing it was her hand running through his hair. He now had to face a bigger predicament that the dream made him realize about Rukia- A woman he hired to be his girlfriend, the woman, who made him happy and feel at ease- the realization of him being in love with her.

He picked his phone and speed-dialed her number. No answer. He groaned once again and fell back on his bed, forgetting about the meeting he had to attend.

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It was Sunday night; Rukia was standing in front of the main gates that led to Ichigo's mansion. Grimmjow paid her and dropped her here after he satisfied his carnal desire.

Once she entered the mansion she went straight to the bedroom. She took the money from her closet and added her recent earnings to it, noticing how her crumpled bills looked grimy compared to the clean and crisp bills Ichigo had given her. The contrast was suitable for them too; her all grimy and soiled, him all clean and untainted.

She then took out the golden-coloured gift box. After a lot of thought, she decided on her message, scribbled it on a piece of paper and placed it inside the box with the gift. She expected him to get the gift when he returned from his trip on Monday evening. Finally, she laid the box on the bed, took her bag and left the house.

Once outside, she dumped her phone in the dumpster without going through a ton of missed calls and disappeared into the shadows.

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**ashezo:- good guess, but she is going someplace where she already knows a few people. Any guesses?**

**Thanks to ReaperDuckling, Aizawa Ayumu, xdayanarax, novicestar, youtubesam, ashezo and kejora for the reviews**

**Ichigo's torture starts from the next chapter, so keep on reading and reviewing.**


	9. Chapter 9

**I found it tough to write Ichigo's POV. I thought it would be easy, but it was hard to get the details right, so i gave up trying to keep him IC. Although I know what is gonna happen in the story, I find it hard to fit Ichigo into that frame. I'm so not happy with this chapter. **

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It was Monday morning. Ichigo had decided to shorten his trip and return early. He will be home in a matter of minutes. There wasn't any conversation between him and his family or friends regarding the incident on the night of the party, the only one he wanted to talk was Rukia. He tried calling Rukia but she didn't reply, maybe she is angry. Of course, she'll be angry, even he hated himself for his behaviour. Guilt was eating him from the inside out. He just hoped she was willing to accept his apology. He couldn't afford to lose her now that he knew why he acted like an ass. On that day, he acted out of jealousy. He could not bear the sight of her in someone else's arms. Nevertheless, the way he reacted was very inexcusable. He was forever going to regret it if Rukia didn't forgive him.

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Ichigo reached home at 6:15AM and heard some noises coming from the kitchen, so he guessed Rukia was preparing breakfast as usual, however he was very disappointed to see Hanatarou fiddling with kitchen appliances instead of Rukia. Hanatarou visited once in a while from their main house to help Rukia in doing some cleaning and house-hold maintenance.

"Hey Hanatarou! Where's Rukia?" Ichigo asked anxiously.

"Maybe Rukia-sama is sleeping. I went to knock on the bedroom door but there was no answer." Hanatarou said fumbling with a kitchen towel.

Ichigo thought it was a good opportunity for him to wake-up and surprise Rukia. He went to the bedroom door and opened it slowly, careful not to awaken Rukia. However, when he entered the room there was no sign of Rukia. The only thing he found on the bed was a golden box. He went ahead and opened the box; it had a maroon tie and a note saying 'Happy Birthday Kurosaki-Sama'.

Yes, today was Ichigo's birthday. He felt very happy that Rukia remembered his birthday; at the same time, he felt something was amiss. Where was Rukia? When did she start calling him 'Kurosaki-sama'?

Then he started panicking. He opened her closet and the first thing he saw was a white envelope. He opened it to find money- ten grand to be exact- a few bills were crumpled and stood out from the clean crisp bill he had given her. The crumpled bills summed-up to be 500 bucks. He then rummaged through the closet and found her old clothes missing. What was going on? The only plausible explanation was that Rukia had left him without giving him a chance to apologize or even saying a goodbye.

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Ichigo sat on the edge of his bed while clutching the tie in one hand and the money in other. He did not know how to interpret the situation. Where did she go? He called Inoue to ask if Rukia visited her. He even called Uryu and Chad. No one had any idea about where she could be. It's as if she disappeared from his life. He decided to visit their usual spot. She wasn't there, figures, if she was trying to get away from him, why would she be at her usual spot? He then went to the place where they first met and tried asking about her to her friend Momo-who was incredibly tight-lipped.

Maybe she pitied his plight or something, because she somehow seemed willing to share some information.

"Rukia came here on Sunday. She got a few…umm…customers. She seemed in a hurry, as if she wanted to make a lot of money in a very little time. When she left, she told me to take care and that we'll meet some day. I asked her what was going on, but she didn't answer. Can I ask what happened between you and Rukia, Kurosaki-san? She looked hurt and I haven't seen her so upset in my life, whatever happened must've been very big blow to affect her to this extent." Ichigo didn't respond, he just drove back home. Whatever Momo told him was a disaster.

Furthermore the package he was going to find when he came back home was going to be a catastrophe.

* * *

It was still dark, the sun yet to rise. Rukia was on the outskirts of town, she was headed towards her old orphanage. She remembered Ukitake-san. He was the only fatherly figure in her life and the person she truly respected. The only person who never let her down. The only person who never expected anything in return of his kindness. She was hoping that he'll once again pick her up from the streets and put a roof over her head.

A lot has changed around the place where she once lived. She was walking for almost three hours, her stiletto clad feet started to hurt. The view of a familiar park lifted her spirits. It was the very same park where she used to play with Renji and the others. Those were the good times._ Renji_, she hadn't talked to him in ages, not after she ran away from the orphanage. She kept on walking until she reached the familiar sight of a small house across the street with a homey feeling.

It was early and there was no traffic on the streets, so she started crossing the road without paying attention to her sides. Rukia was so caught-up in her musing that she did not notice a car speeding in her direction, nor did she notice her heel getting stuck in the drain cover on the side-walk (she really has to stop zoning out). As she fell backward, she heard the screeching of tires along with immense pain in her entire body. The only thought running through her mind was that now she had a lot of physical pain to go along with her emotional pain.

If only the physical pain could numb the pain in the heart.

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**This is the last time when Rukia gets hurt (physically or emotionally), from here on it's Ichigo's turn. I excluded the part about the 'package' since it would've dragged on. The next chapter reveals the mystery of the package. **

**Keep on reading and reviewing.  
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	10. Chapter 10

**Another chapter without a single ounce of editing…Oh how I wish I had someone to rectify my errors, so that no one has to read a crappy chapter. So, sorry in advance for the mistakes.**

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Rukia knew she was dreaming. Since there was no way Ichigo would smile at her like that ever again.

They were at a movie theater. A movie was playing on the screen. The weird thing was that she could hear the laughter of other people but no one was in sight. She decided to ignore it and watch the movie. She was enjoying the movie, when all of a sudden, the girl on screen morphed into her and a different movie started playing. She could see her own life being played in front of her.

_Rukia was 12, when a kind man took her in from the streets to his orphanage, where she met many orphans like her. His name was Jushiro Ukitake. He taught her how to read and write. His wife was Retsu. The couple cared for her as if she were their own child. She also met Renji at the same orphanage. He was 13 then. Being street kids, they could relate to each other without any difficulty. When Renji turned 14, he started to do part-time jobs, so that he could help around with the expenses in the orphanage. Ukitake-san refused to accept it, so Renji brought some toys, clothes and books for the other kids living with them. She admired him for his determination._

_Rukia however had no such luck. She was scrawny so she could not do strenuous jobs. Girly jobs were snatched by cute girls with frilly dresses. As days went by, she started feeling more and more worthless. By the time she was 16, she felt like a huge burden on the selfless, loving couple. One day she ran away from all of them to the nearest city. _

_The city was a dangerous place, especially for a 16-year old girl, with no place to live. She learned it the hard way by getting molested on the very first day, somehow she escaped. After a few days of starving she had no energy left, she was about to faint when someone picked her up and took her to two men named Gin and Aizen. They fed her, so that they could put her on 'the market'. Her very first client was Grimmjow. From that point onwards, she started working for Aizen and Gin. There was no way out of their clutches; she was stuck. Until one day, when they were arrested for some other illegal stuff they were doing and sent to jail. She also met Momo with whom she shared a run-down apartment. Later on, she tried to get out of this line of work, except it was a one-way street- once you are in you can't get out._

_Then she met Ichigo. He was the only ray of light in her dark world._

The image on the screen distorted and the previous movie started playing again. Rukia turned to look at Ichigo's reaction. To her surprise, he was standing with his friends and family. Everyone was looking at her with disgust. Ichigo then whispered those awful words and left her. 'Once a whore, always a whore.'

Rukia woke-up with a start. She was sleeping on a bed in a dark room. It was hard to tell where she was and why was her whole body hurting like hell. There were voices coming from outside the room. According to their conversation, it seems that she had woken-up some time ago but did not recognize the two people.

"What if she can't remember?" a man said.

"Don't worry. She'll be alright. The doctor said that she is in a better shape than before and will feel healthier after a few days of rest. We are here to look after her, aren't we?" The woman said in a soothing tone.

They took their leave without noticing that she was awake.

* * *

Rukia processed their conversation, those voices were familiar, she raked her memory for any kind of clue, and then it hit her. She was in her orphanage with Ukitake-san and Retsu-san. She was hit by a car in front of their house and now they were assuming that she has lost her memory.

After a lot of effort, Rukia sat-up on her bed. She started thinking. For how many days was she knocked-out? What was she going to tell them about her life after she ran away? She did not feel like telling them about her life in the city. She doesn't wants them to feel disgusted by her. This was the only place where she could feel safe. This was her sanctuary. This is where people loved her without asking anything in return. She was desperate to come-up with something that would make a good excuse for her return to this place. Nothing came up.

Her life as a prostitute has finally ended. It was in the past. Now was the time to start a new life and forget the bitterness that Ichigo and the others had caused her. That chapter of her life was over.

Even with a killer headache, Rukia was able to think straight. This was her chance to start-over. No one here knows what she had been doing in the city, she could just tell them that she can't remember a thing, and stay here with them. She will get a job, help them with the kids and finally be of some help to her foster-parents. Deceiving them was unfair, but she had to start somewhere. This was her only option, not the best, but she had to do it anyway. For now she needed sleep, the plan will be put in action tomorrow.

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A quivering Hanatarou handed a black package to Ichigo and informed him that it was found on the doorstep. Any other day Ichigo would've reprimanded Hanatarou for his carelessness, but today was not the day. He opened the package and whatever he saw shook his very soul.

They were pictures of Rukia not only naked but also bruised and battered. Her lower lip was bleeding, a white fluid was flowing out of the corner of her mouth. He did not need a second guess to identify what that liquid was. In another picture, she was gagged, her hands were tied above her head, and it looked as is she was in a lot of pain. Ichigo couldn't bring himself to look at the rest of the photos. He just wanted to know who did this to her. He searched the package and found a note from the sender that said 'Time to throw her away.'

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**I hope you can guess who the sender is. Therefore, this time there is no cliffhanger. Please tell me if I have to change it from T to M.  
**

**Yikes! In last chapter I forgot to thank you for your reviews!**

**So this time without forgetting-Thank-you all for the reviews.**

**AlfHarty:- Thanks*cries happily in a corner for the compliments*. I'm trying to improve my grammar, I hope my poor writing skill doesn't bother the readers too much.**

**youtubesam:- Cliffhangers? Hmm… let me think. So that everyone comes back to read my story and hopefully review. I'm very wicked that way *scratches head awkwardly*. Oh and no Kaien in this story, coz I'm planning another story with Ichigo-Rukia-Kaien love triangle. Byakuya? May be. **

**Read & Review.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Somehow, I feel that the story is going too fast, so I've slowed down the momentum. Tell me if it gets too boring this way, then I'll pick-up the pace. **

**I've uploaded my first one-shot. It felt like writing 'Worlds apart' all over again (too much angst). Please read it and don't forget to review both stories. **

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Ichigo was driving at break-neck speed. He had to get to that bastard and he had to beat him to a pulp. How dare he do something like this to Rukia? Once he got the info from him about Rukia's whereabouts, he was going to kill that bastard. There were so many emotions coursing through his veins, so much pain, sadness, rage.

Ichigo reached an office building and made his way inside. He asked for a certain person's office. No-one stopped him, as everyone who worked there knew him as the Kurosaki heir. He decided to ditch the elevator and climb the stair to lessen the adrenaline flowing in his body, so that he wouldn't kill that man right away. He still had questions that need to be answered, about his Rukia.

He reached a door, as it swung open, he saw the guy he wanted to kill at all cost. Grimmjow. Grimmjow was the one who send him those pictures of Rukia. He was the one who tortured Rukia. In addition, he was the only one who knew about where she was right now.

Ichigo went to Grimmjow and yanked him by the collar, punched him for good measure. There should be shock and pain on Grimmjow's face; instead, there was a vicious grin, which infuriated Ichigo even more. Before Ichigo could say anything, Grimmjow spoke.

"I was expecting you. Welcome."

Something in Ichigo snapped and he started punching the living daylights out of Grimmjow. He heard a chuckle, and stopped mid-punch.

"You must be thinking why I'm not fighting back, right? I'm kinda enjoying this. The look of pain and loss on your face is making me dizzy with happiness. Aww! I'm getting softhearted." Another punch.

"Shut the fuck up. I did not come here to listen to your nonsense. Tell me where Rukia is. Now." Snarled Ichigo.

"Huh? How can I tell you where she is? I dropped her on your doorstep. I don't keep tabs on whores."

Grimmjow could've received a sharp blow for the 'whore' comment, if only Ichigo wasn't frozen by his response.

Rukia was not with Grimmjow? Then where did she go? It would mean that she left him of her own free will.

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The next morning Rukia woke-up to a feeling of someone poking her cheek. When she opened her eyes, she came face to face with a chubby girl. The girl in question gasped and ran off calling for Ukitake-san. Within moments, about seven kids, ranging in age from five to thirteen surrounded her.

Ukitake-san made his way into the room, a soft expression on his face. The man looked same as always, maybe just a bit older and thinner.

"How are you feeling now? I hope you are not in too much pain." Rukia could see that he wanted to ask whether she remembered him, but kept that question to himself. She decided to put her plan into action.

"Who are you? Where am I and what happened to me?" She hated herself for the look of hurt that passed on the kind man's face however; she didn't have any other choice.

"So you really don't remember me?" Rukia shook her head. "Can you tell me your name?" she repeated her previous actions.

"If you want, I'll tell you everything I know about you, but only when you are ready to hear it."

"I want to know." Rukia said in a small voice.

Ukitake-san then told her everything from the day he brought her to this house to the day she _left_. His concern for her was obvious in his voice. She felt guilty for tricking the man and wanted to tell the truth, as soon as she opened her mouth to speak, she was interrupted by another person entering the room. It was Retsu-san— as beautiful and graceful as ever.

Despite all that had happened to her, Rukia couldn't help but smile at the loving couple.

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Ichigo was driving around the town, looking for Rukia. Not only him, but also his friends and his dad were looking for her. He assured them that once they found her, he'll tell everything that had happened between him and Rukia. He just wanted to talk to her first.

It was impossible to search for her in a city as big as Karakura. Ichigo however was never the one to give-up on something, so he continued driving, while keeping an eye for her.

He kept searching for her for days, without an ounce of food or rest. His dad and sisters were worried about him. Moreover, he understood their concern, because he knew damn too well how it felt to be worried over someone; someone who you love and who left you without a word. His eyesight became blurry with unshed tears, so he decided to go home and start fresh the next morning.

He went straight to his bed and laid there. The atmosphere in his house was dull and gloomy. When Rukia was here, she would wait for him, no matter how late he was. They always ate dinner together. While Rukia was with him, this house felt like _home_. He closed his eyes as a trail of tears flowed down the corner of his eyes, disappearing in his orange hair.

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**falconrukichi :- You misunderstood. Grimmjow was being sarcastic at that time.**

**AlfHarty :- It's not a total tear-jerker, but I love to see/read/write Ichigo cry.**

**ichiruki77 :- Thanks for the support.**

**kejora :- Aiya! Byakuya will not be the other man.**

**ashezo :- Thumbs-up to you. You guessed the next circumstances correctly. Are you reading my mind?**

**youtubesam :- I'm glad you agree that I'm wicked. About the 'Once a whore, always a whore.' I don't remember (sometimes I think I have the memory of a flea). How did you like Ichigo crying?**

**darklover :- I'm happy that you like my story.**

**pokeyspot :- Thanks for the offer. Next time I'll be sure to send you a copy. Also, Thanks for the compliments, I'm blushing here.**


	12. Chapter 12

**I have a week long function going on at my house. I wasn't going to upload a new chapter this week, but I owe it to all those who review. So, here it is. Although, I want to proof-read and upload it again. So feel free to point my mistakes. **

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**Uryu **

I wasn't Ichigo's best friend so as to say, but we were close friends; and in some cases, rivals. Close enough to point out when the other was being a fool, or when the other was feeling distressed over something. We worked together on most of the projects and stressed over the simplest of things. Most of the times that stress was carried to our personal life. Which I agree, wasn't healthy.

All this started changing for Ichigo when Rukia entered his life. I saw his stress disappear after he spent even a few moments with her. Even though I hated him for rejecting Inoue's confession and making her unhappy; I was pleased to see him with a person who cared for this stupid, arrogant fool. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw someone as sensible as Rukia with someone as reckless as Ichigo. I guess, all human beings deserve love.

However, there was something odd about them. I could feel that Rukia was not who she was portraying. There was a secret they were trying to hide. I would've tried to investigate, except it was their problem, and who was I to poke my nose in their business.

Ichigo hasn't come to work after Rukia left. He just mopes around in his house. He hasn't left the house since he stopped looking for Rukia. Everyone's hoping for Rukia to come back and sort out their crisis, and I am one of them.

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**Chad**

We were what people call _'best-buds'. _I never spoke much and neither did Ichigo, but we could understand what the other had to say, without putting it into words. We fought for each other and alongside each other.

I could say that the bond he had with Rukia wasn't your everyday conventional bond. It was better than that, and in the fair amount of time I've known Ichigo, I could say that he was happy, genuinely happy. The grumpy Ichigo who hardly ever smiled, now smiles more often. He was very protective of his family and friends, but refused to show that side to anyone. With Rukia it was different, we could _see_ his compassionate nature towards her.

At the time they shared the news of their engagement, I was sure that there was no-one else other that Rukia, who can make my friend this happy. I was glad that my friend found someone he loves and that person loved him back. Rukia was the only one for him. It never shocked me to see him rejecting Inoue, in-fact he told me that he did not want to lead her on, seeing that he would never love her.

Now that Rukia is not here, Ichigo looks as if he has lost the most precious person in his life. He blames himself for something he had done to Rukia, but refuses to tell us about it. I realize that he wants to solve the matter by himself. Rukia is a huge part of his life and her disappearance has left a large hole in it. I hope she comes back to him and gives him the happiness he deserves.

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**Inoue**

I've been in love with Kurosaki-kun for as long as I could remember. He has always been a good friend to me. We weren't as close as I wanted to be, but I decided to wait and give him some space. I once confessed to him and he said 'You are a good friend, but I can't think of you in that way. And anyway, I'm not interested in having a relationship right now'. I always thought that when he makes up his mind about having a relationship he'll give me a chance.

Then, along came Rukia. None of us knew her before they started dating. By the time we were well acquainted with her, they chose to get engaged. My heart was breaking every step of the way. I wanted to hate her, I was jealous of her. She snatched my opportunity to be with him. However, I could see the love for her in his eyes. Being with her, made Kurosaki-kun content. And I understood why I never stood a chance. She brought-about positive changes in Kurosaki-kun and we all very thankful to her for that. Even his family loves her, they can't stop gushing about the new daughter/sister they've found. She seems to fit right into the family as if she has always been there.

Now I can't even bear to look at Kurosaki-kun as he falls deep into despair- after Rukia left. It upsets me to say, but I wish that Rukia returns and Kurosaki-kun reverts to his old self.

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**Isshin**

I was sure that Ichigo was gay, he never showed any kind of interest in girls, not even Inoue-chan, who once confessed to him. But, as always, he had to prove me wrong. I discovered that he was actually meeting a girl behind my back. Maybe he was embarrassed to introduce her to us because of my nutty behaviour. Therefore, I decided to bring-up the topic by myself.

One day he brought her home. I couldn't wrap my head around the idea of an elegant, graceful girl being my scowling, orange-haired son's girlfriend. Thanks to her somewhat erroneous judgment, my hopeless son got a gorgeous girlfriend. I could see that he loved her and vice versa. For the first time in many years- after his mother's death- I saw the Ichigo who loved to live his life.

Not just Ichigo, even my daughters loved her. Hence, I accepted her as my third daughter. She is such a caring girl. Even Karin had a soft spot for her, and that is a big deal.

Why is God so brutal to my son? First his mother and now Rukia-chan. He lost both of them. His mother will never return, however I expect Rukia-chan to come back as early a possible. I can't have a son that's sulking 24/7. I want a son that I can tease, and who smacks me as a come back.

So Rukia-chan, come back soon. We all are waiting especially Ichigo.

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**Not too much to read I guess. Sorry for the back-story kinda chapter. **

**Thanks to HentaiLover69, falconrukichi, ashezo, kejora, youtubesam, pokeyspot for your reviews. I'll reply to your queries next time. **


	13. Chapter 13

**Hmm…. I'm not too happy with this chapter. I think something is missing. What is it?**

**This is totally Rukia's POV. Next time it'll be Ichigo's turn.  
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**Three months later…**

The sky was clouded and it looked like it could rain any minute.

Rukia was wandering around in the same park - where she often used to play as a teenager. This time, her friends from orphanage were not around. She was here with the new kids that lived there. They were like a big happy family. All the kids and her made it their daily routine to come and play here in the evening, she came here not so much to play, but to keep on eye on them. She had gotten a job in a nearby grocery shop owned by an old lady. The pay was low, but every penny was important for the orphanage. She also took some side jobs like baby-sitting and dog-walking for the few extra bucks. Ukitake-san was a teacher in a school, whereas Retsu-san was a nurse. They refused to use her money, but she was adamant, so they accepted.

Ukitake-san told her about Renji; most of the things she already knew, but the new and good thing was that he was well-settled, working for some big company. Unlike her Renji continued his education, albeit being very poor in studies. He also visited the orphanage every now and then. She was so not looking forward to his visit, because that would mean she has to lie to her only best friend. A small part of her however wanted to meet him and see him all grownup.

Sitting on a park bench, she thought about her meeting with Renji.

Renji's actual visit was very comforting in the sense that he didn't force her to remember anything. There was a familiar sense of warmth radiating in his behaviour, just like Ukitake-san and Retsu-san. Although, he suspected something about her behaviour. She was tempted to tell him her secret. However, she refrained from doing so, she didn't want someone innocent being pulled into her life full of lies. Though, Luck wasn't on her side. Also his actions on that day, left her perplexed.

(Flashback)

_On the last day of __Renji's__ visit, they were sitting on the park-bench, talking about unimportant stuff. Renji was deep in thought, very unlike him. He suddenly got up and started talking about their days together in the orphanage._

"_You probably don't remember, but you were very mischievous as a kid." He stood in front of her grinning. _

_"You, my friend, once got bullied by an older kid. The next day, you dropped a bag full of cockroaches and lizards on his head. He was scared shitless" By now he was laughing his ass off, Rukia on the other hand was frowning._

"_Hey! It wasn't me who dropped the roaches on him. It was You!" she yelled at him for accusing her. As soon as the words left her mouth, she wished she could swallow them back._

"_Yeah….it was me. So, do you mind telling me what's going on. I kinda knew that you were bluffing." There was a gentle expression on his face. There was no use trying to avoid the inevitable. She took a deep breath and started. _

"_When I ran away from here…" _

_Rukia told him every little detail of her life. She always wanted someone to open-up to. She couldn't stop herself, even if she wanted to. So, she kept on talking. When she was done telling him everything, she waited for him to reprimand her, call her an idiot for destroying her life, with her own hands. However, she looked at him and saw a look of understanding. As their eyes met there was this feeling of being connected, as if they found something, they were missing for a long time. _

_Renji bent down and kissed her softly on the lips, he was trying to convey the message that he'll always stand by her side, no matter the situation. The kiss didn't feel weird, in fact it felt soothing. She was vulnerable, the touch- especially from someone who cared about her, gave her a great sense of comfort. She needed some kind of human contact to destroy her inner demons. She closed her eyes to soak up the warm feeling. An image flashed in her mind…Ichigo. Rukia gasped and pulled away from Renji._

"_It's because of that guy, right?" he asked her, looking disappointed. She just lowered her head, without saying a single word._

"_I'll wait." With that, he turned and left. He gave her a choice. One was to mope around, and the other was to accept him and move on. The choice wasn't hard; the implementation was._

(End Flashback)

Everyday she was reminded of the kiss when she came to the park. It forced her to think about how she was going to deal with Renji's proposal.

After a few minutes, all of them left, as it was time for supper. Retsu-san cooked and she did the dishes, the routine was set. Tonight as she was doing her dishes, she was feeling a bit anxious, a foreboding feeling. Maybe that was because of the nightmares she was having recently, she decided to ignore it and go to bed.

She still kept her city life a secret from everyone except Renji, and played the role of an amnesic girl. By now, she had perfected her façade. She was happy living here with everyone. Sometimes on gloomy days like this, she would remember her days with Ichigo, which filled her heart and mind with bitterness. Men like Aizen, Gin and Grimmjow had played with her body, but Ichigo had played with her feelings and she resented them more and more, every time she thought about it.

Next day she felt more distressed, as if something was going to happen and she wanted to avoid it at all cost. She completed her work and set-off towards the park. She was sitting at her usual spot looking over the kids, when she spotted two men getting down from a car. The identity of those men made her breath hitch in her throat. Rukia saw the two men approaching her. She knew them very well. She hardened her expression, so as to hide any hint of recognition that reflected in her eyes. Her brain was yelling at her to run away, but it was only going to make the matter worse. Hence, she stayed there, trying to look as indifferent as possible.

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**Aizawa Ayumu, kejora, HentaiLover69, ashezo, athenaphoenix17, falconrukichi, TagoMode, Thanks for the reviews.**

**TagoMode**** :-If you like a jealous Ichigo, then please read my other story- 'Not meant to be' also.**

**youtubesam I missed you !**

**Please read and review.**


	14. Chapter 14

**This time it's Ichigo's POV. Most of the things are revealed in this chapter, no cliffy.**

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Ichigo was laying down on his couch, staring at the crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling of his spacious living room. The house that once felt welcoming, now gave a feeling of gloom without Rukia. He searched for her high and low- without any success. He had given-up on work and completely isolated himself from his family and friends. He hadn't left the house for the past month and a half. That was when he ended the search for her. He knew that he deserved to be shunned by Rukia, and even if that was the truth, didn't make it any easier to bear.

He wished she would return and punch him, punish him anyway she liked.

He wanted her to come back to him.

He needed her, as much as he needed oxygen to breathe, to stay alive.

His father and sisters visited daily, with food—which he sometimes ate, sometimes dumped in the trashcan. Uryu, Chad and Inoue came by daily for the first few weeks, they never got any positive response, so they left him be. They called a few times every week to make sure he was okay.

Okay? How can he be okay when he blew off his only chance to happiness? He thought of drowning himself in alcohol to forget the pain, but then he remembered Rukia saying that _'alcohol turned men into fools'_. He was already a fool who destroyed his own life and most likely Rukia's as well. He heard the doorbell ring and chose to ignore it. But, whoever it was, was very persistent and just won't leave. He got tired of hearing the annoying ring and decided to see who was trying to get on his nerves. when the door was opened, he found Uryu and Chad standing outside. Uryu was looking visibly shaken, whereas Chad was a bit tense. From the looks of it, the news that they brought was not going to be a good one.

Both, Uryu and Chad entered the living room; contemplating on what to say and how to say it. Uryu started first.

"Ichigo, today we went to the sub-urbs looking for some things on our new project. We were passing by an old park, where some kids wer-"

"Shut-up! If you are here just to tell me about your daily adventures, then you better leave now. I have neither the patience nor the time to entertain to your silly quests." Ichigo said in a cold voice.

"Okay it was wrong of me to-" Uryu was cut short again, this time by Chad.

"We saw Rukia."

"Actually we _met_ her." Uryu corrected.

Never had they seen Ichigo's eyes so alive, as they were now, just by the mention of Rukia's name.

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"Actually we _met _her."

A lot of emotions flickered across Ichigo's face, the one among them was hope. Uryu felt like a jerk to douse his hope, but it had to be done.

"…however it seems to me that she has lost her memory." If there was a sound of a heart breaking, it could be heard now.

"What..do…you mean?" the hope in Ichigo's eyes died down.

(Flashback)

_Uryu and Chad were in the outskirts of Karakura for their new project. They were done with their task, and were going back to the city, when suddenly Chad yelled for his friend to stop the car. Uryu who was on the steering wheel, was taken aback by Chad's sudden outburst. Moments later, he was in the same state, when he glanced at the direction Chad was looking at, to see what had caused his quiet friend to get so animated. He saw a petite woman- who had driven their orange-haired friend to the point of insanity with her sudden departure, sitting on a park bench._

_Both men approached the tiny women. They were hesitating to talk to her, as she showed no signs of recognizing them. Uryu went to her and said._

"_We all are looking for you. What are you doing here?" _

_She looked confused for a second and then answered._

"_Oh…. I don't know what to... This is awkward to say- I recently lost my memory, and haven't remembered a single thing from my past. I'm sorry to say this, but I don't remember you." _

_With that said, she turned and left the park with a bunch of children. Chad hadn't said a single word, Uryu was left speechless. They both got in the car and came to a decision to do some snooping._

(End flashback)

Ichigo couldn't believe what he was hearing. She lost her memories? It's not possible, right?

Uryu continued with his narration about their encounter with Rukia.

"We thought it would be better to investigate the matter, so we asked about her to the nearby people. One woman told us where Rukia currently works. We went there, only to find out that she lives in an orphanage. The orphanage manager—Ukitake-san is a lecturer in the nearby school-"

"Uryu. Get to the point." Rage was evident in Ichigo's voice. Uryu felt a bit unnerved, but he continued.

"Eh…. We met with the man; he guaranteed that Rukia has in-fact, lost her memory when she got in an accident. He also told us that before she came to the city, Rukia lived with them when she was a teenager." Uryu did not know what to say next, so he kept quiet, waiting for Ichigo to soak-up the torrent of information he had just provided.

"When did she get in an accident? Did she look okay?" Ichigo wanted to make sure about her wellbeing.

"About three months ago, in front of the same orphanage. She looked fine when we met her."

That would mean, leaving him, was her own decision. He had hurt her so badly that she left this city to go to her previous refuge.

What was he going to do now?

Ichigo was considering his options. He wanted to see Rukia, but would he be able to bear the pain? The pain of her not recognizing him. He decided to keep the information about Rukia, away from his family. If they knew where she was, they would certainly go there to meet her. He didn't want to see them in pain, especially when the root of this pain was Ichigo himself.

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**Aizawa Ayumu, falconrukichi, kejora, Thanks for the reviews.**

**All the chapters are generally around 1000-1200 words, so they aren't that short. But, I'll try to write bigger chapters.**

**.pop, kurukurupa keep on reading and reviewing.**

**A/n :- For the next two months I wont be able to update every week. I have practicals, exams, and whatnot, I'll be too busy studying (and crying because of too much workload). I will update; just not every week. Sorry for the trouble, in advance.**

**R&R.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Sorry for the late update, but as I said last time, don't expect regular updates for next one and a half month. **

**I'm so busy, I didn't even get to read the new stories and recent story updates. I've saved a list of links on my laptop, so that I can read them later.**

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It was that nightmare again. Someone or something was pulling her down in the dark, murky water. She was drowning; trying to grasp something that can help her keep her head above the disgusting water.

The dream usually ended there, but tonight it was different.

Tonight, she was surrounded with men who looked rather familiar. Suddenly they leaned forward and started shoving her down. She was yelling for someone to come and save her.

Her strength finally left her. Unable to fight them, she stopped struggling. The last thing she heard while drowning deeper, was _them _laughing at her.

Rukia woke up, when a splash of cold water hit her face. She was surrounded by all the kids and Ukitake-san.

"Wha-what happened?" she asked, out of breath.

"You were screaming for help and thrashing wildly. We tried to wake you up by shaking you. You didn't respond, so we had to use the water." Ukitake-san supplied.

"Oh... I was having a nightmare." She looked outside the window, it was still dark. "…sorry to wake you up at such an early hour."

He just smiled at her and told her to get some sleep. What he did not tell her was that she had been doing that a lot lately, except tonight it had gotten too out of hand, and she had to be awakened by splashing cold water over her face.

Rukia could not sleep after that. The unexpected meeting was the reason why she was so panic-stricken. In the park, the two men who approached her, were Uryu and Chad. She hoped that they believed her act. It was certain that they would tell Ichigo about her. The only question was, would he come to meet her? Moreover, if he did, how should she react?

The next day, she was on alert all the time. Looking out for a familiar man with outrageously orange hair and a scowl on his face. She was trying to keep her cool, so that if he shows up, she wouldn't mess-up and blow her cover. Furthermore, if she couldn't deceive Renji with her act, she would never be able to fool Ichigo. He knew her far too well to get tricked by her acting skills.

That day, she decided against going to the park and headed straight to the orphanage.

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Ukitake-san returned home with a grave expression on his face. He wanted to talk to Rukia about the people who visited him yesterday. He thought about it after they left yesterday and whole day today, and came to a conclusion that she has a right to know about those people. He called her in his office, from where he did all his work for the orphanage. He made sure that nobody would eavesdrop.

"Take a seat. Rukia, we have to talk about something important."

"Is everything alright?" Rukia asked after looking at Ukitake, who was looking pensive.

"Rukia, yesterday two men came to ask me about you." He waited for her reaction. To see if she was willing to carry on this conversation.

"Then… they must be the same men who met me in the park. They said, they were looking for me. I told them that I lost my memory and I don't remember them." She said fidgeting with hem of her tee-shirt. Her reply surprised him.

"Why? Don't you wish to regain your memory? Those men can help you in some or the other way. They might know something about your life in the city." He tried to convince her.

Rukia recognized that this conversation had to be stopped, otherwise her secret will be out. Ukitake-san would suspect her intentions about not wanting to regain her memory.

"I….I've been having nightmares recently. The things that I see are dreadful and scary. I think, those are the events that happened to me in the city. I'm afraid to remember anything… Because, if I do, then I wont be able to live peacefully. I don't know if I want to go back to that life. Please let me stay here. I swear I won't cause any trouble. I don't want to leave this place. Please." Tears were welling in her eyes.

The man sighed. He had first-hand knowledge of her panicked state, after she got those nightmares. He did not want to make it tougher on her.

"I understand. It is your decision to make, but be sure to tell me if you ever change your mind." Ukitake could make out that she was hiding something, or may be she was truly scared. It wasn't his place to tell her to do something she didn't wish to do. For now, he was going to watch out for her.

Rukia hated herself. She was being deceitful again. What she was told Ukitake-san about her nightmares wasn't actually a lie, but it also wasn't the complete truth. Just for her selfish intentions, she was deceiving every person she has ever known. Was there any meaning to such a living, this was just…. existing. Being alive, without any reason whatsoever. What was she going to do this time? Run away, again? No. She was fed up with running away from her troubles. She was going to stay and face her problems. Nevertheless, she needed a helping hand and she knew whom to call.

The first thing Rukia did after she left work the next day, was call Renji. She dialed the number with shaky hands. A public pay-phone wasn't the best medium for this kind of conversation, but she was desperate and she needed to talk to him.

She wanted to tell him that Uryu and Chad had seen her. If they tell Ichigo, he was sure to come looking for her (she anticipated that much).

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After her conversation with Renji yesterday, she felt a bit calm. That is why she was here in the park, at her usual spot.

A surprise was waiting for her. Well, not really, since she predicted it. Ichigo was standing in front of her.

"How are you, Rukia?"

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**I know, not the best of chapters. Actually, it's pretty poor writing on my part. Please don't hate me for it, I wrote it in a hurry.**

**Read & Review.**


	16. Chapter 16

** Sorry guys, but I haven't had much time to get anything written or typed. This is only one third of the usual chapters that I do. Completing it would have taken almost a week, so I decided to just post what's complete. Its all in my head, I'm just waiting for my exams to end and then i can finally get to update regularly.**

**Unedited.**

**Sorry I forgot the disclaimer..**

**Disclaimer:- Bleach does not belong to me.  
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(Flashback)

_Rukia dialed the number with shaky hands. A public pay phone wasn't the best medium for this kind of conversation, but she was desperate and she needed to talk to him. It rang four times, before Renji picked it up._

"_Hello!"_

"_Renji ! I need your help!" Rukia shouted so loudly, that the people around stopped in their tracks to stare at her. She bowed her head as a sign of apology and continued her conversation with Renji._

"_Hey, calm down. What's the matter?" Renji inquired with a hint of concern._

"_They found me, Renji! They found me. What am I gonna do?" Renji could get the impression of how frantic Rukia must be. He tried to think of something to say to soothe her._

"_Okay. Tell me everything from the start, and try to compose yourself. Panicking is not going to solve your problems." He heard her taking a deep breath and then exhale. Then she told him the whole incident, without leaving a single detail, and indicated that she wanted to keep her distance from them._

"_Hmm…I see. I'll come to the orphanage as soon as I can and then we'll discuss how to deal with them. But, keep up the act till I get there. Alright?" he said it with so much confidence that Rukia felt a lot more comfortable._

"_Alright. See you soon. And Renji…. Thank you for listening to me." She couldn't help but smile. Renji always stood-up for her, even now, after so many years he is doing the same. He is truly a great friend._

(End Flashback)

Ichigo was sitting in his car waiting for Rukia. Uryu and Chad had followed him in a different car. After minutes of waiting, he saw a familiar figure. She was approaching the park gate with a lot of kids. The kids ran-off to the many swings and slides in the park, she continued walking and sat under a tree. He observed her for the longest time. She was as beautiful as ever.

Ichigo got out of his car and made his way towards her. Her gaze flickered in his direction. Their eyes met. There was no emotion in her eyes. She then averted her eyes to a different direction, as if she didn't see him at all. He stood in front of her. Rukia lifted herself from the ground and stood before him, with an unreadable expression on her face. She was about to speak, when Ichigo spoke.

"How are you, Rukia?" Ichigo said with a hint of anticipation.

"I'm sorry. Do I know you?"

Before he could say anything else, a guy with red hair interrupted them by calling out for Rukia. She seemed to know him, because after hearing his voice, a glimmer of hope and relief flashed on her features. Ichigo felt a pang in his chest. This man, whoever he was, was very close to Rukia.

"Hey Rukia, lets go." The red-head said to Rukia, ignoring Ichigo completely.

"Yeah." With that said, both of them left him standing there, even without a single glance from Rukia.

Ichigo shoulders drooped more. Thousands of questions swarmed through his mind. _Why didn't Rukia recognize me? Did she really lose her memory? Why was she so happy when she saw that red-headed guy? Who was that guy? Why did Rukia seem so relieved after seeing him? What relation did she have with him?_

All this was too much for Ichigo. He was getting jealous again. Last time he got jealous, he did something that turned out to be a disaster, now he wanted to avoid such mistakes. Everything aside, the biggest question was how he was going to make Rukia remember him…

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**Read & Review.**


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